How should I go about getting volunteering hours?

[abePT]

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Hey guys! So, a little background...
My senior year of high school, I went through what I think most folks my age go through: panic attack owed to the fact that you don't know what you want to do with your life.

My freshman year, I thought I wanted to be an engineer because my uncle is a civil engineer. I decided that wasn't truly my passion.

From 10th-12th grade, I decided to enroll at the magnet program at my high school, law and government. During the course of those years I genuinely enjoyed learning about court procedures, briefs, laws, and the like, and I enjoyed partaking in our required mock trials at our school's courtroom even more. I thought that I wanted to pursue a career in law; specifically, an attorney. But I just never saw myself as truly happy in that field in the long run. Clearly, I have a mercurial personality.

I ended up going to a community college to satisfy my GEs for a lower price, and I opted to attain my AA in Health Sciences (still in progress) because as I became more involved in my sport (cross country, track) and witnessed many of my teammates and rivals getting injured, folks on wheelchairs during my runs (which made me truly thankful for my abled legs), and dozens of other mishaps, I became interested in pursuing a career in the health field. I always loved helping others, just that I realized I wanted to help others by having a positive effect on their rehabilitation, etc.

In other words, I discovered my affinity for PT. I'm on the verge of transferring as a 2nd-yr student to a 4-year univ. and I am on track to earn my B.S. in Kinesiology in 2 years. Basically, no time was wasted in getting my 2-year degree.

My main concern is this: I discovered relatively "late" what I wanted to do with my life, and as such, I never got a jumpstart on volunteering at hospitals, PT facilities. Most programs I am looking into require a min. of 150 hrs in a variety of settings(outpatient, inpatient, pediatrics, etc). Is it possible to get those 150 hours in 2 years time? Also, how should I approach these different hospitals and rehab facilities and ask for volunteer opportunities?

Sorry for the long post. It is somewhat an introductory post, since I am new to this forum. Any responses would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[02143]

Its absolutely possible to get the 150hrs in 2 years... every summer during my undergrad experience, I would contact different clinics and ask to shadow for 1 week. I did a 40 hour week at each clinic, and then I was out of their way. The summer I acquired the most hours was the summer between my sophomore and junior years and I did 5 weeks straight of 40 hours observation at 5 different clinics. Super easy, and manageable.

Its normally a struggle to get inpatient hours, or a significant amount of them... most hospitals have a volunteer application process that you can go through... for the hospital I was at, I went through the application process and they awarded me 1 morning of observation time (4 hours). After I finished that, I pulled the PT aside that I had been working with and kindly explained that I was eager for more time. She understood the situation and told me that I could come back for those 4 hours every week. I did that for 10 weeks one summer and had the 40 hours I was looking for.

For outpatient clinics, I found it super easy to get hours. I normally walked in (dressed professionally and with a resume) and just explained my situation. I didn't have any clinics turn me down. Also - remember how broad PT can be... think about SNFs, non-profit clinics, sports medicine, pediatrics, spinal clinics, vestibular clinics, regular outpatient ortho, inpatient, LTACs, schools, etc. The opportunities are out there, but you have to be persistent and seek them out. Good luck!

 

[Kuhdaytee]

I decided on PT the summer after my junior year of college, and I'll be applying this upcoming summer (so one year later). I have over 200 hours now, 40 of them I got within two weeks over winter break, and the rest I volunteered 2-4 hours a week at each setting (so closer to 10 hours/week for two semesters). You have plenty of time to get hours! You have two years, so try to get observation hours at different clinics and in different settings.

I emailed and called physical therapy clinics to find some, but there is also a student health clinic on campus that has a volunteer program for students. See if your school has a pt department that you can volunteer with. If your sport has a go-to physical therapist, see if they'll let you observe. You'll get a lot of no's, but don't be discouraged!

 

[DSPDPT]

It is definitely doable! I did 200 hours 5 months. I did three months at an outpatient and 2 at inpatient. As for outpatient clinics, just call or email them, most places are always looking for volunteers. For hospitals, find out if they have a volunteer department and call them. All you have to do is tell them you're looking to volunteer because you need hours for Physical therapy school, and they'll most likely be happy to help you out. Good luck!

 

[kelly91]

Yup! I did my hours my Junior year and am actually going to be doing more hours in the fall(graduated). Call hospitals in your area and if possible ask your classmates where they did their hours. If you have a friend or family member going for PT right now, have them bring it up with the Physical Therapist, see if they would like a volunteer for a short period of time.

Good Luck!

 

[portlandpt]

I took a year off between undergrad and PT school. It allowed me to shadow at a variety of places to really decide if DPT was something I was interested in. Plus, a year break is just about the perfect amount to time to recharge your batteries before starting three more years of challenging academics.

 

[sleepsolater]

your sport has a go-to physical therapist, see if they'll let you observe. You'll get a lot of no's, but don't be discouraged!